Page 2 of The Worst Kept Secret

“Avery,” his voice is hoarse. “How did you get here?”

“Uber.”

“It’s starting to snow harder. Do not Uber home. I’ll take you when you’re ready.”

“It’s fine.”

“It’s most certainly not fine. I brought the Jeep, I’ll take you home or I’ll call your father to come get you. At least I won’t be worrying about you riding around in a car that doesn’t have all-wheel drive. I’m not joking,” he says before looking at the bartender. “Water for her.” He points at me. “Drink the whole thing, Avery,” he says before turning away from me and disappearing into the crowd.

Sometime later, those two shots of Fireball coupled with the two vodka sodas I had and the week of poor nutrition and lack of sleep have me more than a little intoxicated. I’m not sure how much time has passed or where Theo went, but something tells me he’s close by.Watching.That thought has me swaying my hips on the dance floor next to Rory who is way drunker than me as she grinds against her on and off high school boyfriend, Justin.It’s winter break, so it’s on.

Another friend of ours is behind me, I think, and while I’m not dancing as obscenely as Rory, I do feel something pushing against my back and hands on my hips. I turn in someone’s arms and spot Nate Reynolds, who I’d dated in high school and was absolutelynotwho I expected.

“Nate?” I push his chest gently, putting space between us.

“Avery Summers.” He smiles cockily.That same cocky smile that cost me my virginity and months of heartache.

I give him a fake smile before rolling my eyes and making a move off the dance floor, hoping it serves as a signal that I am definitely not interested in going on a trip down memory lane or reliving the glory days or whatever the hell Rory and her ex are planning to do tonight.

“You get even more gorgeous every time I see you.” His hand runs down my arm and I roll my eyes.

“Please.” I chuckle. “Find someone else tonight, babes. It’s not going to be me.”

“You wound me.” He puts a hand across his heart.

I deadpan. “The irony,” I say, referring to all the “wounding” he did to me during my senior year of high school.And freshman year of college.

I move through the bar, grabbing my coat from the booth where we’d all placed our things, and start moving towards the door, wanting to put as much space as possible between myself and my annoying ex-boyfriend.

“You want me to take you home?” he asks and I scrunch my face.

“No. I came out here to getawayfrom you.Read the room.” I pull up my phone, contemplating texting my dad to come get me since Theo threatened me with it anyway. But it’s almost two in the morning and while he’d do it, he would be irritated as hell that I waited this long to call him if I knew I was going to need a ride.

“Look, I’m sorry about all that shit…but that was years ago.”

“Okay?” I chuckle. “I’m not mad at you still, but I’m also not going to hook up with you.”

“Who said anything about hooking up?” he says, but that wicked glint in his eyes tells me I nailed what he was thinking despite what he hadn’t said.

“Please. I speak fluent fuckboy.” I flutter my eyelashes at him and he rolls his eyes before pressing his hands against his mouth and blowing on them. I’m guessing he’s regretting following me outside without a coat.The lengths guys will go to when theythinkthere’s potential for a hookup.

“Ave, you ready to go?” I hear Theo’s voice from behind us and then he’s moving to stand in front of us on the sidewalk.

Nate looks at him and gives him that smile that all the guys give him. They all have Theo on this pedestal and practically worship the ground he walks on. If there wasn’t snow on the ground, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he dropped to his knees and bowed down to him.

“Theo!”

Theo clears his throat. “Mr. Graham,” he corrects Nate. I smile to myself knowing hehatesbeing called Mr. Graham, and all of Lucas and Raegan’s friends call him Theo. Nate laughs like he’s not serious but Theo is less than a fan of Nate; probably because of the weeks he had to listen to me crying in his basement while simultaneously begging Lucas not to beat the shit out of him. He looks at me. “I think I should take you home, it’s getting late.”

I nod in agreement because I’m ready to be away from Nate andalonewith Theo. I’m already sending a text to Rory to make sure she has a ride as he ushers me away from Nate and towards his car.

When we’re out of earshot, I feel his gaze on the side of my face. “You okay?”

“About Nate?” I snort. “Yeah.” He nods and I think he’s going to say something but he stops when we get to his truck.

“In you go.” He opens the door for me and it’s a little high off the ground, so he has to help me up into it, and the mere feeling of his hand helping me is enough to make my skin sizzle. He’s around to his side in an instant.

“Wait.”

---